RWBY: Karaoke Night
by GrandAdmiralJek
Summary: We all love RWBY, and we all love the music and songs that come with the show. But what do the characters think of the songs written about their adventures?
1. Mirror Mirror

"So how do you know this guy again?" Weiss asked Yang as they disembarked the bus. The establishment before them was slightly seedy, but still looked nicer than the other buildings around it. Vale's downtown district was not the safest place on the face of Remnant, but Yang had insisted that the team and some friends come with her to particular bar.

Yang chuckled. "It's…"

Beside her, Ruby grinned, as if at some inside joke. "A long story?"

Another rueful chuckle from the blonde. "Yeah. Let's just say that Junior is a friend I met a little before Beacon."

Weiss glanced around nervously. "God, I hope my wallet doesn't get stolen."

"Well, are we going to stand around staring at the place," Blake asked, "or are we gonna go inside?"

"Well said, Blake!" agreed Ruby. "Let's go, girls!"

* * *

The club was packed tonight. Good for business. Junior smiled in satisfaction as he watched more guests file in. Out on the dance floor, partners were rocking and rolling to the music, and cheerful peals of laughter came from the bar area every few minutes. Junior's gaze shifted back to the doorway… and he flinched. There, walking into the club with the biggest grin on her face, was Blondie.

Junior froze when her lilac eyes swept the club and stopped on him. "Junior! Buddy!" she called out to him, striding over with a trio of other girls in her wake.

Like always, Junior felt a nervous sweat break out between his shoulder blades whenever he saw the girl. "U-umm… Blondie! Welcome back. What's the, uh… occasion?"

Yang grinned at the intimidation she saw in Junior's eyes. The last thing he wanted was his club getting smashed up again. However, as much fun as it was to keep him in suspense, she was here for a night of fun with the girls. "Relax, Junior, we're just here to have some fun." She looked over her shoulder. "You three thirsty?"

Weiss and Blake shrugged. Ruby nodded.

"Perfect." Yang looked back at Junior. "Gimme three Strawberry Sunrises, one with ice." She though for a moment. "And a virgin pina colada for Ruby. Bring it to our table, 'kay?" She blew him a playful kiss and turned towards the tables. Junior watched her go, shaking his head with a small sigh of relief.

* * *

"So, Yang," Blake asked once the drinks were served. "Why did you _really _bring us here? I doubt it was just for the drinks."

"Right you are," Yang replied, gesturing to the dance floor. "Just watch."

The other three girls turned to the floor, where a space had been made for a small band. The lead man, a trumpeter, was tapping on his microphone and getting everyone's attention. "Hello, hello, hello, people of Remnant! My name is Flynt, and we are the Freelancers!" Flynt gave a stylish flip of his hat, his blue tie dangling loosely at his neck. "Let us introduce ourselves! Over there behind the drums we've got Arnold 'MurderOfBirds' Delgado!" Arnold, a bearded man with glasses and a full smile, gave a _rat-tat-tat. _

"On guitar, we've got Caleb and Jacob, also known as 'Semblance of Sanity!" The brothers rocked out for a few seconds as the crowd cheered.

"Tickling the ivories back there, we've got Hero Hei!" Hei flipped his hair and danced his fingers over the keys.

"And of course, my friends, on vocals, we've got _you! _Because what night is it?" Flynt put a hand to his ear.

"_Karaoke Night!_" the crowd shouted back.

"That's right! So, who's up first?"

While the first volunteers hopped up on stage and the music began, Weiss looked disdainfully at Yang. "A karaoke night? _Seriously? _This is the reason we absolutely _had _to come to Junior's?"

"Oh, come on, Ice Queen, lighten up!" Yang replied. "I though maybe we could go up there and sing a little, have some fun!"

Weiss gave a little _hmph! _of indignation. "Well, I for one will not be participating!"

Ruby groaned.

Weiss looked to her leader. "What?"

Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out some money, passing it to a cheekily grinning Yang. "Yang and I made a bet before this on whether you would or wouldn't sing. Looks like I just lost."

Weiss glanced at Yang. The blonde smirked back at her as Weiss's eyes narrowed, the alcohol giving her just enough of a small buzz to want to show Yang up. "Oh, really?" Weiss stood and set her Strawberry Sunrise down, then marched defiantly out to the dance floor. The song had just concluded, and the volunteers were leaving the stage as Flynt called for the next singer.

"Flynt!" Weiss cried. The man looked down at her, trumpet in hand. His eyebrows shot upward in slight surprise.

"Well, well! Weiss Schnee! It appears we have some royalty in the house tonight! What song do you want, little lady?"

Weiss approached him and whispered in his ear. He smirked. "Ooh, making things hard on our boy Hei tonight, aren't we? Well, your wish is my command." To the audience, he announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, may I present Weiss Schnee singing 'Mirror, Mirror!'"

Weiss stepped up to the microphone and slipped it out of the stand, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. At the back, Hei pressed a button on his keyboard and began playing a soft, regal melody. The notes were high and angelic, yet held a cold solemness at the same time, before Weiss opened her mouth and began to sing.

"_Mirror… tell me something… tell me who's the loneliest of all?"_

The sound of violins suddenly came on as the orchestral pads joined the music. A cheer went up from the audience as a cyberpunk beat began thumping over the speakers and Weiss continued, "_Mirror, tell me something… tell me who's the loneliest of all?_" Semblance of Sanity added to the music with base, while Flynt grinned and tapped his foot to the beat. "_Mirror, what's inside me? Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?_" Hei's hands began flying across the keyboard as the intense instrumental section came up. Weiss threw her long ponytail back with a sharp turn of her head as darkness fell across the stage and the drums gave a foreboding roll.

In the seats, Ruby, Blake, and Yang were all clapping with the rest of the audience, the reaper cheering Weiss's name as a spotlight lit the heiress up on stage and she lifted her voice in a long, melodious aria. The keys came back with a set of staccato chords before the entire band, minus Flynt, came back in and Weiss sang, "_Mirror Mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see! I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?_

"_Mirror Mirror… _

"_Tell me something… _

"_Who's the loneliest of all?_"

The music rose to a crescendo before Hei took over with a last, gentle scale and Weiss finished, "_I'm the loneliest of… all_."

The audience erupted into applause, before the keys became more somber. Eyes closed, Weiss thought of everything the audience didn't know. To them, it was just that, a song. To her, it was her _life._ Always trying to be good enough, yet never enough to satisfy Jacques. The anxiety, the strict expectations and manipulations, everything came swelling up to the surface.

With everything she had, Weiss took all those emotions and poured them into the song as she gently stepped into Part II of "Mirror, Mirror."

"_Who am I to complain?_

"_My life's been spared so much pain._

"_Born with all that I need._

"_My comfored soul guaranteed."_

The mood shifted in the crowd, rowdy cheers dying off as the people stilled and began to recognize the severity in Weiss's gentle song. Her teammates had similarly quieted, staring in awe at this rare display of Weiss's inner self.

"It's so… beautiful, yet…" Blake trailed off.

"Sad," Ruby finished for her. Blake nodded.

"Well, we deal with pain in our own ways," Yang commented softly. "Just because she came to Beacon doesn't mean hers went away. She's just able to keep it in check because she has us. This is her true self, the part of her that she's still not sure of."

Heedless of the girls' musings, Weiss went into the chorus.

"_Some believe in fairy stories,_

"_And the ghosts that they can't see._

"_I know that I could do so much,_

"_If I could just believe in me._

"_Mirror, Mirror… Tell me something_

"_Can I stop my fall?"_

A small tear slipped past the heiress's closed eyelid. Flynt saw it and stepped toward her, placing a gentle hand on her elbow as he motioned for the band to still for a moment. "You okay, Miss Schnee? You don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"No, Flynt," Weiss replied, wiping the tear away. "I _have _to do this. Tell them to keep playing."

Flynt shrugged and gave Hei a thumbs up, and the pianist went back to his slow, flowery tapping of the keys.

Weiss went back into the song, thinking of Jacques as she sang. Never had she seen a hint of warmth in his eyes, never any indication that he actually cared about her beyond how she could serve his interests, only a distant blue that was as cold and hard as ice. And it had reflected into her.

"_Years of scorn will leave you cold._

"'_Forget your dreams, do what you're told.'"_

And so, rebellion was outlawed in the Schnee household, with severe consequences for deviating from Jacques's idea of how they should live. Winter had already suffered Father's wrath for choosing her own path. Cut off from the family, abandoned to the world. But Winter had survived. It was one of the things Weiss admired so much about her big sister: that she'd had the courage to stand up to Jacques and the wherewithal to sustain herself without him.

It was all that Weiss desired, to be like Winter, to make her own path.

"_But bit by bit now,_

"_A step each day,_

"_I'm slowly starting_

"_To find my way."_

And the final chorus, the only difference being a change to the final two lines, and yet how profoundly that change affected not only the song, but also the singer.

"_Some believe in fairy stories,_

"_And the ghosts that they can't see._

"_I know that I could do so much,_

"_If I could just believe in me._

"_Mirror, Mirror… I'll tell you something._

"_I think I might change it all…"_

Hei walked up his fingers and finished on a high _A_, and as the music faded out, the audience burst into applause. Despite herself, Weiss had a pleased smile on her face as she wiped another tear away and took a bow.

"Alright, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Flynt shouted to the crowd with a grin. "Give it up for Weiss Schnee everybody!" If it was possible, the clapping and cheering grew louder. Weiss scanned the room and looked to her booth, and she gave a small, emotional laugh at the sight of Ruby standing on the table and cheering for her. Blake and Yang had stayed on the floor, but they too smiled and put their hands together. The cold in Weiss's soul had risen during the song, but now, seeing her friends' support, a wave of warmth washed it away.

_I think I'm changing it all_.

**Author's Note: So this is my first attempt at writing a proper fanfiction that is a true AU to the original. This first chapter is a tad shaky in some parts, but I'm hoping that some of the ideas I have for other songs will make this fic improve over time. I'm thinking about next chapter having JNPR tag along with RWBY and possibly having Nora sing 'Boop' or Pyrrha sing 'Shine' or 'Dream Come True.' Stay tuned! - Jek**


	2. Dream Come True

**Chapter Two: Dream Come True**

"You mean you _didn't _break his legs?" Nora exclaimed in disbelief as Yang led them to the bus stop.

Yang gave a small chuckle. "Look, Nora, I love my hair, but I'm not savage. Besides," she grinned, "I've grown a little fond of Junior. We're buddies."

Weiss sighed. "Leave it to you to be 'buddies' with a shady club owner."

"Oh, relax, Weiss Cream! Stop giving me the cold shoulder!"

Ruby let out a dismayed groan and covered her face with her hands. Blake, though less expressive, rolled her eyes.

Behind the girls, Jaune, Ren, and Pyrrha were also walking to the bus stop. After hearing about Weiss's debut at Karaoke Night in Junior's club, Team JNPR had asked if they could tag along the next time the girls went clubbing, to which Ruby had agreed.

"So, Jaune, whatcha planning on singing for us?" Yang asked with a sly smirk as the bus pulled up.

Jaune chuckled nervously, but didn't answer. His mind was a bit off the topic at hand, as he was stealing glances at Weiss when she wasn't looking. He was fascinated by her beauty, the silvery threads that danced away from her ponytail, the scar that she viewed as an imperfection but in his mind only served to give her character. And her voice! The times he'd heard her on record from her concerts in Atlas, he'd sworn it had been an angel that sang. When he'd heard that he'd missed her singing at Karaoke Night a week ago, he'd nearly kicked himself. He was wondering now if there was some song he could sing tonight that might carry across his feelings to her.

However, the blond Huntsman in training was not the only one stealing glances. At his side, the red-headed Pyrrha Nikos was wistfully staring at him as well, tracing the invisible line between his eyes and Weiss. Pyrrha frowned, wishing with all her being that he would look at _her _that way.

_Grow a spine, Nikos! Come on! Just tell him how you feel! You faced down warriors time and again at Sanctum like it was nothing. What scares you so much about him?_

A quiet, shuddering sigh escaped her lips.

"You okay, Pyrrha?" Ren asked at her side.

Quickly, Pyrrha put her mask back on and gave him a friendly smile. "Yes, thank you Ren. I'm just a little tired from my last round fighting with Cardin."

Ren nodded, accepting the answer, then boarded the bus after Jaune. Pyrrha brought up the rear, the frown slipping unbidden to her lips once more as the doors slid shut behind her.

* * *

The audience cheered as Flynt and the Freelancers did their usual intro and the lead singer called for volunteers. As people began to go onstage and sing, the friends dropped into chatter about how school had been going; Nora was recounting a recent encounter she'd had with Miss Goodwitch concerning a large amount of syrup, to the amusement of Blake and Yang and the dismay of Ren. The girls of Team RWBY had ordered the same drinks as the week before, and at Yang's recommendation, Team JNPR had all gotten Strawberry Sunrises, with the exception of Ren—the boy's exact words had been that the drink was "too exciting" for him.

Pyrrha idly fiddled with the little umbrella in her drink as Nora regaled the others with her tale, her emerald eyes flickering to Jaune, who was still glancing at Weiss here and there. He was head over heels for her, had been since the day they had all met.

Pyrrha remembered what she had asked herself at the bus stop. _What are you so afraid of? _The answer was right in front of her: could she compete? If Jaune was so infatuated with Weiss that he didn't even notice Pyrrha's own attraction to him, then what chance did the Invincible Girl even stand?

"You know, you could just talk to him, right?" came a voice to her right, stirring her from her thoughts. Pyrrha looked over to see Ruby staring at her with bright silver eyes, the reaper taking a sip from her virgin piña colada with a small smile.

"Hmm? W-what do you mean?" Pyrrha asked innocently, a flustered blush making its way to her cheeks.

"I mean, most everyone at this table knows how you feel about him," Ruby replied, stirring her drink with the straw. "Even Weiss can see the way you look at him; I mean," she went on with a giggle, "I can't _tell _you how many times she's complained to me that she'd _pay_ you to get him to stop flirting with her. But if you never take a shot, you're guaranteed to miss."

Pyrrha looked at the younger girl, struck in the moment by her wisdom. "But… how would I—?"

"How else?" Ruby replied. "It's Karaoke Night!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened as she looked to the stage. "Wait, what? No, no no no, I couldn't do _that! _I'm not a-a singer, I can't—"

"Pyrrha." The champion looked back at the reaper, who gave her a reassuring smile. "Only you know exactly how you feel. So tell him, up there. You can't get it wrong if it's the truth."

Pyrrha's eyes dropped bashfully. "You really think I can?"

Ruby placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "You're Pyrrha Nikos. I _know_ you can."

With a deep breath, Pyrrha met Ruby's eyes again. "Thank you, Ruby."

"No problem. Now go get 'em, tiger."

Slowly, Pyrrha stood. She was shocked to find her legs trembling as she shimmied past Ruby and set her Strawberry Sunrise on the table. She took another deep breath, in through her nose, out through her mouth. _I'm really about to do this. _A smile snuck onto her face, jumpy and nervous, but happy nonetheless. She began to walk to the dance floor, her steps growing sturdier and more sure the closer she got. At the dance floor, a woman was just finishing a song with the lyrics, "_Falling toward the sky-y-y, Waiting for my-y-y… ride._" The audience applauded the woman as she stepped down, and Flynt twirled his trumpet and laughed into the microphone.

"Well done, well done! Alright! Who's up next? Anybody out there?"

Tentatively, Pyrrha raised her hand and called out, "Flynt!"

Flynt's sharp, sunglass-hidden eyes swivelled over to her and found her in the audience. Upon seeing her, he took off the glasses in surprise, eyes widening. "Wow! Seems like our club is a hot spot for the who's-who of Remnant! Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos in the same two weeks! What song you want, Miss Nikos?"

Pyrrha hopped up on the stage and looked to her booth. The other seven had stopped and taken notice when she had walked down to the dance floor, and now they all watched with anticipation for what she was going to do. Even Jaune had quit casting his glances at Weiss and was now staring directly at her. Internally, Pyrrha smiled. His eyes focused on _her, _not Weiss, and she could do whatever she pleased in this moment.

Meeting Jaune's gaze, Pyrrha whispered into Flynt's ear. The trumpeter grinned. "Alright then. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Pyrrha Nikos singing 'Dream Come True!'"

The crowd cheered and put their hands together for her. Pyrrha took a steadying breath and nodded to Hei, who started off the track. Right as his hands descended on the keys, Pyrrha's eyes flicked up to Jaune, who was still staring at her, and she smiled.

'_You can't get it wrong if it's the truth.' Thank you, Ruby._

The keys started, a smart, playful beat that wasn't quite sassy but held plenty of personality as Pyrrha sang:

"_I've been watching you lately_

"_Chasing your tail and it drives me crazy,_

"_You'll never get that girl."_

In his seat, Jaune straightened abruptly. Pyrrha watched, a blush appearing on her cheeks, but she pressed onward.

"_She don't see in you the things that I can see,_

"_The girl's ice cold, it ain't meant to be._

"_Look in every land and port in the wo-orld."_

Now Weiss stiffened. Pyrrha felt something resembling a petty second of pride streak through her. MurderOfBirds came in on the drums behind her as the song continued.

"_I've been spendin' time wonderin' why_

"_Nothin' that I do can catch your eye._

"_I just can't capture your attention._

"_Maybe I'm too tall or not your type,_

"_But I'm not giving up, I'll get it right._

"_Being close to you is my intention!"_

Jaune's mouth was wide open, as were those of Ren, Nora, Blake, and Weiss. Even Yang wore a surprised smile at her boldness. For a moment, Pyrrha felt a flash of doubt, until she turned to Ruby. The reaper, unlike her friends, had a smile that was equal parts proud of Pyrrha and confident in her. Seeing Pyrrha's glance, Ruby gave her a nod and a thumbs up and mouthed, "You got this!" Reassured, Pyrrha went into the pre-chorus, Semblance of Sanity backing her up with the bass.

"_I see more in you than the rest of them do_

"_And I'm not gonna let you fall._

"_I'll swallow my pride, time after time,_

"'_Cuz you're worth it all."_

Pyrrha couldn't help the smile than leaped onto her lips as she sang the chorus and Flynt finally joined in with proud blasts on his trumpet.

"_Whenever I think o-o-of you,_

"_How I wish you only-y-y knew!_

"_You might be my dream come true-e-e._

"_What do I have to do to make you notice_

"_Me…?"_

Flynt blared on his trumpet in tune with one of the electric guitars and led her into the second verse. Pyrrha looked out into the audience and took stock of her friends. At this point, Nora was clapping ecstatically with the music along with Yang, while Blake and Ren both wore quiet smiles. Ruby hadn't changed, still giving Pyrrha that strengthening gaze, and Weiss looked completely floored. As for Jaune, he still looked shocked, but the hint of a smile had begun to work its way onto his face. Seeing it, Pyrrha grinned.

"_O-o-ohh, you know that_

"_You and I, we would be alright,_

"_We would dance on the roof, we would_

"_Light the night!_

"_Gotta make you _

"_See me in that_

"_Way!"_

Flynt leaned over and echoed, "_That way!_" into the mic. Pyrrha grinned at what she knew was coming.

"_Why don'tcha, forget about the little _

"_Chick in white, she don't_

"_Care about you and she's_

"_So uptight!"_

In her seat, a flustered Weiss cried indignantly, "Hey!" Ruby giggled.

"_Lemme put a _

"_Smile on_

"_Your face!"_

The words came easier the longer Pyrrha sang, and she felt her blush fading. The next guitar riff sounded like love as she went into the second pre-chorus.

"_How I wish that you knew_

"_That I'm crazy for you,_

"_When I'm with you the_

"_Time just flies (just flies)!_

"_I'll get you alone,_

"_Make you my own, it will_

"_Be divi-i-ine!"_

In the background, Nora let out, "Ow _oww!_" and the crowd and Pyrrha both burst into laughter and applause as Semblance of Sanity let loose a sick, prolonged electric guitar riff. Caleb and Jacob both jammed out to the tune of the chorus, with Flynt providing accents with the trumpet. Pyrrha had settled into a gentle back and forth sway as she reached the bridge.

"_I can keep on waiting!_

"'_Cuz my heart, I've been savin'!_

"_I think you're gonna figure it out,_

"_I'm the one for you, there's no one else!"_

Flynt had picked up a tambourine from somewhere and shook it rhythmically as he leaned into the mic and sang the chorus acoustically, the other instruments falling silent.

"_Whenever I think o-o-of you,_

"_How I wish you o-o-only knew!"_

The drums crashed in.

"_You might be my dream come true-e-e!_

"_What do I have to do to _make _you my baby?!"_

Semblance of Sanity continued singing the chorus in the background as Pyrrha ad libbed and the instruments went back live.

"_O-o-ohh, whenever I think of you!_

"_(Only knew) I really wish you knew that I'm in love with you!_

"_(Dream come true!) Awo-o-o-o-o-o!"_

"_(What do I have to do to make you notice?)_

"_It's gonna be you for me, and me for you!_

"_We're gonna shine a light, and make a dream come true!_

"_Gotta get it right, while we've got the time,_

"_I'm gonna win your heart, I'm gonna make ya mine!_

"_Come on! Come on! Come on come on come on come on now _

"_What do I have to do to make you notice_

"_Me…?"_

Pyrrha let the music soften, Hei playing a serenade of lighter notes as she breathed, "_Notice me-e-e? Notice… me…"_

The final note held in the air for a long moment until it trailed away, and as Pyrrha opened her eyes, she gave an awkward little wave and blushed furiously as the audience burst into applause. Arnold crashed on the drums behind her in unison, and when she looked to her table, she saw all seven of her friends stood to their feet as they applauded her. Weiss seemed a bit perturbed by some of the song's lyrics but applauded nonetheless, while Jaune was looking at her in a way she'd only seen him look at the aforementioned heiress.

Beside Jaune stood Ruby, who was putting her hands together just as fervently as everyone else. Pyrrha giggled and nodded briefly to her. Ruby simply smiled and mouthed,"You're welcome."

Flynt was saying Pyrrha's name and congratulating her as he stirred the crowd into another applause at her performance, but all that Pyrrha cared about was a pair of blue eyes beneath a scraggly head of blond hair that were locked onto her own, unwavering as she smiled.

_There it is. There's my dream come true._

**Author's Note: Well, that was sweet! I do want to say that, if you hadn't already figured it out, the band in this story is all based around RWBY Youtubers, the four being Hero Hei, Semblance of Sanity, MurderOfBirds, and the central figure of FlyntOfRWBY, for whom we can thank for multiple music videos to these very songs. Not sure which song I'm going to do next, but I get more excited about this fic every time I write it. Stay tuned! - Jek**


	3. Gold (Acoustic)

**Chapter Three: Gold (Acoustic)**

"Come on, sis, it isn't the end of the world," Yang reassured Ruby.

The younger girl buried her head in her pillow. "But Yang, I needed that _A _to bring my grade up in Oobleck's class!" Ruby said miserably, her voice muffled. "Now I have a _B+_!"

"Rubes, a _B+_ is still a great grade!" Yang tried again. Ruby was always so hard on herself, whether it be on the training floor with her weapon or in the classroom with her mind.

"But, I—"

"Hey," Yang said, lifting her sister's head from the pillow. She looked into Ruby's silver eyes, which were swimming with unshed tears, and squeezed her shoulder reassuringly. "It's going to be okay. Okay?" She gave Ruby a soft peck on her forehead. "If you need help, I've got your back."

Ruby sniffled and swiped at her eyes. "Thanks, Yang."

Yang was silent for a moment, then had an idea. "Hey," she said with a grin, "why don't we go clubbing tonight? Just the two of us?"

"What about Weiss and Blake?"

"Oh, those two can spend the evening with Team JNPR. I heard they were going to go see the latest Spruce Willis movie."

Ruby sniffed again, then let slip a small smile. "Sure. That sounds like fun."

* * *

Once in the club, Yang and Ruby sat at their usual booth. It was a little strange to not have a larger group with them, but Yang wanted to make sure that tonight was just a night of fun between sisters. However, with a few sideways glances at Ruby, she could tell that the reaper was still feeling down. A mopey frown had overtaken her face, and she had barely touched her virgin piña colada.

Yang sighed. _She has to get her mind off that grade, even if it wasn't as bad as she's making it out to be. _She gazed out to the dance floor, where Flynt and his Freelancers were at their usual gig. It sounded like the song was just about to end.

Another idea sprang to mind. Yang wasn't much of a singer—certainly not on Weiss's level—but in this moment, her sister's needs outweighed her doubts. A twinge of uncharacteristic nervousness working its way up her spine, Yang covered over it with her usual cocky smirk and nudged Ruby with her elbow.

"Hm?" Ruby murmured, barely even lifting her head off the table.

"Watch this," Yang whispered. Ruby perked up slightly, but before she could act, Yang was standing and heading toward the stage. The blonde weaved through the crowd as the song ended on a gentle drum crash and the people burst into applause.

Before Flynt could even ask for volunteers, Yang simply hopped up onto the stage. The trumpeter chuckled. "Eager, are we? What's your name, my dear?" Yang introduced herself. "A pleasure to meet you, Miss Xiao Long. What song would you like?"

Yang whispered in his ear, and added, "Special request. Can you make it acoustic? Just me and Caleb on the bass?"

Flynt nodded and stepped up to the mic. "Alright, ladies and gents, we're gonna shake it up a little bit tonight. Introducing Yang Xiao Long with my buddy Caleb on the bass playing 'Gold!'"

The bassist stepped forward and began hitting a low tune that was passive, yet still funky enough to have a slight groove to it. Yang took a deep breath and let out a long "_Ooh-ooh-oo-ooh" _in tune with the key, and began to sing.

"_Dream of anything._

"_I'll make it all come true._

"_Everything you need,_

"_Is all I have for yo-ou!_

"_I'm forever,_

"_Always by your side._

"_Whenever you need a friend,_

"_I'm never far behind."_

Yang kept her eyes on Ruby as she sang. Her sister stared back at her, a smile finally beginning to replace the frown she'd worn for the past half-hour. Her eyes were shining with tears again, but this time, they were grateful and focused on Yang.

"_If the stars all fall_

"_And there's no more light,_

"_If the moon should crumble, _

"_It'll be alright."_

In her seat, Ruby began crying, tears making wet lines down her cheeks. In that moment, she could feel her sister's love emanating at her like a physical thing, weaving itself into her soul through the music. Every word that Yang sang held the same meaning: _I'm here for you, and I'll never abandon you. _

"_Don't you worry about the dark._

"_I will light up the night with the love in my heart,_

"_I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and_

"_Warm._

"_Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day,_

"_I'll be there to take all your fears away._

"_With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to… _

A beat of silence, and then a beautiful voice joined the bass.

"_Go-o-o-o-o-old… _

"_With a touch of my hand I'll turn your life to go-old!"_

The first verse, to give her someone to lean on. Now, the second verse, to reassure Ruby of her love. Eyes closing, Yang went on, Caleb keeping up the soft bass.

"_Let's have everything._

"_Nothing we cannot do!_

"_Every heart just beaming,_

"_Every sky turns blue!_

A smile came unbidden to Yang's lips. Her next line was mixed with a giggle.

"_I'm so happy,_

"_Just to have you here._

"_Smiles bringing sunshine,_

"_Worries disappear!"_

Ruby had wiped away her tears, and now she sat in her seat with wide eyes and a radiant smile, drinking in this gift Yang had given her.

"_When the days turn dark,_

"_And we start to fall,_

"_I will pick you up and_

"_We will fix it all!"_

The chorus again.

"_Don't you worry about the dark._

"_I will light up the night with the love in my heart,_

"_I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and_

"_Warm._

"_Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day,_

"_I'll be there to take all your fears away._

"_With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to,"_

But this time, Yang's voice dropped in pitch, as the second chorus led into the bridge. Her favorite part of the song. She stared at Ruby, even had the boldness to point to her from the stage as she sang.

"_Go-o-old… _

"_Go-o-old… _

"_Don't worry,_

"_I've got you._

"_Nothing will _

"_Ever harm you._

"_I'm close by,_

"_I'll stay here._

"_Through all things,_

"_I will be near._

"_Close your eyes… _

"_Don't you cry… _

"_Love's around you,_

"_In time, you'll fly!_"

Yang watched as Ruby giggled in her seat, and she laughed as well as she sang the chorus one final time.

"_Don't you worry about the dark._

"_I will light up the night with the love in my heart,_

"_I'll burn like the sun, keep you safe and_

"_Warm._

"_Like the smell of a rose on a summer's day,_

"_I'll be there to take all your fears away._

"_With a touch of my hand, I'll turn your life to…_

"_Go-o-o-o-o-old… _

"_With a touch of my hand I'll turn your life to go-old!"_

Caleb brought the song to a close, and as always, the audience applauded. However,

Yang's eyes were locked onto Ruby. So when Ruby suddenly disappeared in a wave of rose petals, Yang only had a scant moment to blink confusedly before she felt someone race up to her and wrap their arms around her. Ruby squeezed her tightly, as if she were afraid Yang would disappear, and after her surprise had passed, Yang hugged her back.

"I love you," she murmured into Ruby's ear.

Ruby sniffed, her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "I love you too. Thank you."

The applause rained in their ears, but the girls were completely focused on each other, and the warm, familial embrace they shared. Yang smiled down at her sister, her chin on Ruby's head, and chuckled as she felt Ruby nestle closer into her.

_Any day you need, sis, I'll turn your life to gold._

**Author's Note: So, there's chapter three, starring the acoustic version of Gold from the V5 soundtrack. If you haven't listened to that version, I highly recommend it, as it's one of my favorite tracks in all of RWBY. Also, I've been having some ideas with this fic that might follow the canon in some ways. Obviously, with a work like this, it's impossible to stay 100% true to RWBY proper, but I'm having ideas on ways to bring the characters to Karaoke Night while, say, the vents of V4 or V5 are happening in real time. All can say is that I'm excited. Next chapter's song comes from V6, for the late, great Monty Oum: Indomitable. Can't wait to see you then! - Jek**


	4. Indomitable

**Chapter Four: Indomitable**

"So, is anyone planning on singing tonight?" Ruby asked, sipping her drink. Flynt's band played a soft melody in the background, while the audience sang along like they were at a concert on the dance floor.

"Nah, Rubes," Yang said, "I think I'm good for tonight."

"Ditto," Weiss said, with Blake nodding beside her. "I think I'd rather just sit and enjoy the music for once." She turned to the side. "What about you guys? Anyone on Team JNPR planning on performing for us?"

Pyrrha and Jaune shook their heads, his arm around her shoulder. They had noticeably been getting closer since Pyrrha's performance a few weeks ago. "We're just here for a night of fun with you guys."

"Same here," Nora said with a perky smile. Like Blake, Ren merely gave a quiet nod and a smile of his own.

Ruby looked to the floor. Flynt's band was just crashing gently out of whatever song they were playing, and the audience was giving soft applause to the singer as she stepped down from the stage. "Alright, well done, Miss Dunkleman!" Flynt said, applauding himself. "Now, any new volunteers?"

Ruby's gaze flitted over the crowd, searching for the hand she knew would go up somewhere, and found it toward the rear. It was a girl, older than her sister's age but still in her early twenties, with wavy brown hair that came down a little past her shoulders. She didn't seem out of the ordinary, and yet, something about her caught Ruby's eye, as if she'd seen her somewhere before, or exchanged words with her on an airship once. She nudged Yang in the side as the girl began to walk toward the stage.

"Yang," Ruby murmured. "That girl walking toward Flynt. Have you seen her before?"

Yang squinted out into the audience and found the girl, tracking her with her eyes as she walked toward the band. "I can't say that I have, sis." Yang squinted harder. "And yet…"

"Does she seem familiar to you too?" Blake asked. The Faunus girl was also staring at the girl, who was by this point climbing up onstage, with Weiss right beside her. Team JNPR also seemed fixated on the girl, each of them feeling like they'd met her before, but forgetting exactly where or how.

Before anyone could respond to Blake, Flynt offered the girl the mic. "And what's your name, little lady?"

The girl gave him a slight smile, swiping a lock of hair away from her eyes. "I'm Casey, Flynt."

The friends glanced amongst each other. None of them knew anyone named Casey.

"Nice to meet you, Casey. What're you gonna be singing for us tonight?"

She leaned over and whispered in his ear, a little longer than usual, and Flynt nodded. She took the mic from him and stepped up. Ruby, watching her the whole time, was struck for the first time by how beautiful she was, with a gentle face that looked troubled. In fact, Casey looked like she was close to crying on the stage.

Casey let out a shuddering breath and began talking. "Hi, everyone. I know this isn't normal, but I needed to say a few words before I went into this song. This is a song that me and my dad wrote for a good friend of ours that we lost some time ago. This friend of ours was a great man who always strove to make the world around him a better place. He encouraged everyone to achieve the best about themselves and always had a kind word for someone who was feeling down. He was an artist who made things," she chuckled a little, "far beyond my comprehension. He saw the world a different way from the rest of us, and even though he is gone, his message lives on in this song." She nodded to Flynt. "This… is 'Indomitable.'"

Flynt nodded back and motioned to Hei to start playing. The pianists fingers began a slow stroll across the keys, the notes hitting with a deep resonance that almost reminded Ruby of a walk on a fall evening, when the sun was just keeping twilight at bay and a cool breeze fanned the leaves. There was melancholy in the melody for things past, but also there seemed to be a hope for the future and thankfulness for what had come before.

With a deep breath, Casey began in a soft voice;

"_I met a man._

"_He had a dream._

"_I tried to understand, but_

"_Nothing was what it seemed._

"_Sometimes, that's how gods ro-o-oll…"_

A fond smile had emerged on Casey's lips as she sang.

"_We'd sit for hours,_

"_He'd share his plans._

"_To build a universe and make every _

"_Part by hand._

"_A big scheme… with an infinite goal…"_

Whoever this man was, Ruby thought, he seemed to fit Casey's description. As she sang, Ruby found herself with a mental image of this man in her head. She could see him, perhaps leaning over a desk in concentration as he worked on his art, whatever it might be, with a cheerful smile on his face. The thought brought a warm smile to Ruby's lips.

Casey's voice rose with the next line;

"_So I would watch and listen and try to learn,_

"_As pieces and bits became whole._

"_But there was more going on than the work at hand,_

"_What I learned had to do with the strength of the soul…"_

This song was different from most of the ones sung on Karaoke Night, reflected Weiss. It seemed melancholy, mourning, yet simultaneously stirred within her something for this unknown man. Strangely, the heiress felt an irrational sense of gratitude for him, as if whatever he had done had benefited her _specifically. _

"_There's a light that shines,_

"_And it's power is mi-ine!_

"_Though our body's weak and breakable,_

"_The spirit is indomitable!"_

The pads and drums came in at the end of the chorus, adding a majestic, orchestral feel to the song. Usually, songs like these weren't in Blake's taste; they tended to make her feel guilty for the faults of her past. However, as Casey sang, the Faunus girl began to feel a quiet soothing to that guilt, as if something in the music were silently reassuring her that she was not made by her past mistakes, but what she'd done to correct them. Her ears curled uncertainly on her head as she sat, enraptured by this song that spoke to her soul. Casey kept singing, going into the second verse.

"_So step by step,_

"_And frame by frame,_

"_A world created,_

"_It's map fashioned from a stain. _

"_Just dream big,_

"_And work til it grows…"_

A world created. What kind of world? Yang pondered for a moment. A world where she could find purpose? Where her questions could be answered? Where she could have a greater goal than simply being a Huntress because she was a thrill seeker? Who was this man, that he had the power to create worlds even from something as accidental as a stain? The brawler didn't have the answers, but maybe the song did. She went back to listening.

"_I learned this lesson:_

"_We can evolve,_

"_Achieving anything_

"_As long as our hearts resolve_

"_Believing… will make it so-o-o!"_

Resolve. That was the key. Not just an appearance, but a belief that anything could happen for anyone, thought Jaune to himself. No matter that he had sneaked into this school, no matter that he'd had doubts that he could ever amount to anything great, he had friends who would support him, a girl who believed in him, and then resolve to make it so.

"_Though our lives are limited by years on earth,_

"_Our dreams won't be bound inside._

"_The goal's not to live fore-e-ver,_

"'_Cuz eternity loves the creations of time…"_

Seize every day, take every opportunity. My dreams were bound until I had the courage to recognize them, Pyrrha thought, casting a fond glance to Jaune at her side. Anything that I want to achieve, whether it be as a Huntress or as a friend, will live on in the people that know me. If I live in my friends, never shall I die.

The chorus once more, with the whole band.

"_There's a light that shines,_

"_And it's power is mi-ine!_

"_Though our body's weak and breakable,_

"_The spirit is indomitable!"_

Now, Casey took it straight into the bridge, with Flynt and Semblance of Sanity lending her their voices.

"_Don't be afraid!_

"_Get up, get going, a step everyday!_

"_I'll meet you there!_

"_When we try, we transcend;_

"_Even death cannot end our_

"_Cli-i-imb!"_

Everyone of them took that as the key. Ruby's insecurities, her hardness on herself, her fears of not being ready; Weiss's lingering doubts about her family and her pride; Blake's guilt of her past; Yang's search for a purpose greater than herself; Jaune's self-perception of inadequacy; Pyrrha's desire for boldness held captive by a pedestal; even Ren and Nora's confusion about their past and present feelings for each other; all of these found a solution in the bridge. _Don't be afraid. There is no futility, even in death._

The final verse, a soft utterance by Casey with Hei gently following her on the keys. A farewell kiss to a dear friend of all.

"_I wasn't ready…_

"_You can't prepare… _

"_For the unthinkable, _

"_For something that's so unfair._

"_It's cruel, but, _

"_That's how life go-o-oes…"_

The music built once more, the sense of sadness the verse had instilled being swept away just as quickly and being replaced by triumph.

"_But through this sadness,_

"_Thousands of tears,_

"_We see his message,_

"_Sparkling and crystal clear._

"_Our work is larger than we kno-o-ow!"_

Thousands? This man must have been famous to have so many people weep for him, Ruby thought. Who could he have been?

"_There's a light that shines,_

"_And it's power is mi-ine!_

"_Though our body's weak and breakable,_

"_The spirit is indomitable!"_

The band played on for one last triumphant measure, then let the song trail off with the pads as the crowd whooped their applause. This song seemed to have struck as deep a chord with the other patrons as it had with Teams RWBY and JNPR. The eight friends stood alongside everyone else, clapping vigorously and cheering for Casey's performance.

* * *

"I really can't put it into words…" Ruby said later as they left Junior's club. "It just was the kind of song that had this _warmth _to it. Hearing it made me want to laugh and cry and dance all at the same time."

"It was peculiar," Weiss agreed. "I couldn't help but be moved by it. It was like something in the music just summoned the emotion from within me, and I couldn't help but set it free."

"I wonder who that man was that Casey was singing about," Pyrrha mused aloud. "He had to have been famous if so many people cried for him."

"I thought that exact thing!" Ruby exclaimed. "I feel so much like I know who she was singing about, but I couldn't think of his name."

Everyone else agreed with nods and quiet "Me too"s. In the silence that followed, Weiss shrugged. "Well, I'm sure we'll come across it on the CCT somewhere in the next few weeks. Besides, we need to start preparing for the Vytal Festival Tournament. It's only a month away, and we should start looking at the transfer students around the school to see what we're up against."

"Ugh, Ice Queen, can't we have a breath from homework for _one _second?" Yang complained.

Weiss glared at her, perturbed at the nickname, while Ruby snickered. The conversation fell into talk about the Vytal Festival as the teens boarded the bus and headed back to Beacon, never noticing as a woman watched them until the bus doors _whooshed _close behind them and the vehicle departed.

* * *

**Intermezzo: The Band**

"I just can't help but feel bad for them," Arnold said. "Knowing what's to come for them. Are you sure we can't stop it?"

"You know we can't, Murder," Flynt replied, polishing his trumpet. "Our nature in this world prevents us from doing so. All that we can do is help them and be there for them when they need us."

"We have enough trouble in our own world," Hei agreed, "and we have to fight those battles on our own. It strengthens us. It will strengthen them as well."

The door opened to the club, now deserted, as the band packed up for the night. Flynt turned to greet the new arrival.

"Well, do they suspect anything? Do they know who we are?"

Casey Lee Williams's smile was soft and bittersweet. "In some ways, yes, they've known us for as long as we've known them. Deep inside, they know who we really are to them, even if they can't put it into words. In other ways, no, we are but shadows to them, bigger and more powerful overlords than Cinder, Salem, or Ozpin ever will be. We dictate everything; they react."

Flynt stared at her, his normal levity offset by the severity in his eyes. "They're about to react to a lot, Casey. Miles and Kerry have terrible things set in motion, not to mention… _his… _original plan."

Casey bowed her head for a moment, sighed, and nodded. "Yes. They're about to go through the ringer. Not all of them are going to make it. Our job is to make sure that the ones who do have a shoulder to lean on, something take strength in for the next several Volumes."

"What if they can't?" asked Jacob, tuning his bass. Caleb nodded beside him.

Casey thought for a moment, then replied, "They will. We know that they will."

"How?" The question came from Murder.

The woman turned to him with a sympathetic smile. "Because, little bird, we've already written so, since the beginning. Never forget that victory is in a simple soul."

**Author's Note: The musicians are more than meets the eye, and now our angel-voiced Casey is among their ranks. I'm so excited as to where this fic is going, and I can't wait to keep writing for you guys. Remember to please review and critique! - Jek**


	5. When It Falls (Intro)

**Chapter Five: When It Falls (V3 Intro Version)**

_Ruby blinked a few times, disoriented. She was seated, wearing her normal combat skirt instead of her Beacon uniform, in a booth with a drink in her hand. Where was…? Wait, those glass pillars looked familiar. The dance floor, blinking with lights. She recognized this place; this was Junior's club. How had she gotten here? She glanced around, looking for Yang, Weiss, Blake. Her team were nowhere to be found. Neither, for that matter, was Team JNPR._

"Welcome once again, ladies and gentlemen!" _came a familiar voice. Ruby looked out over the dance floor and saw Flynt speaking into the mic, his trumpet at his side. The other Freelancers were all similarly at their instruments as the crowd cheered. _"It's your favorite night, people of Remnant, Karaoke Night! Who's up first? Do I have some volunteers?"

_People began raising their hands and stepping forward, Ruby watching all the while. The band began to play a slow, somber song that Flynt identified as _"Contact" _led by a young woman with deep purple hair. Ruby listened to the song for a bit and took a testing sip of her drink. Virgin piña colada. Her regular on Karaoke Nights. Still, the young Huntress was slightly confused. She couldn't have come here alone, could she? As a matter of fact, how _had _she gotten here, anyway? Not that she minded being at Karaoke Night, but the gap in her memories was concerning. Almost as if she—_

"Hey, there."

_The voice in the silence startled Ruby out of her thoughts. She turned to her right to see a woman smiling gently at her. She was older than Yang, probably in her early twenties, with brown hair that went a little bit past her shoulders and eyes that held a playful sparkle. _"Is this seat taken?" _the woman asked._

"Oh, not at all!" _Ruby replied, patting the seat as an invitation. The woman nodded and slid into the booth beside her. Ruby stared at her for a moment, struck by the strangest sense of familiarity, before a memory clicked. _"Hey, I know you! You're Casey, the singer from last week, right?"

_The woman turned to her, nodding with a smile. _"Yeah, that was me. I guess I made an impression if you remembered me."

"An impression?" _Ruby repeated. _"You sounded amazing! On par with my friend, Weiss!"

"Weiss _Schnee?_ Well, I appreciate the compliment!" _Casey said with a small laugh._

_Ruby giggled with her and held out a hand. _"We haven't properly been introduced. I'm Ruby Rose."

_Casey took the hand and shook it. _"Casey Lee Williams."

"Nice to meet you."

"You as well, Miss Rose."

_Ruby was silent for a moment, then, as if it were an itch she were incapable of not scratching, she said, _"I'm sorry, Miss Williams, but last week, when you were onstage, my friends and I were all struck with this weird feeling." _Casey glanced at her sideways. _"It was odd, and yet, every one of us felt as if we'd met you somewhere before. I know it sounds crazy, but… have you and I met? And I've just forgotten? Or maybe you're someone famous?"

_Casey chuckled slightly. _"Oh, I can assure you, I'm no big deal. I'm from a small village in Vacuo outside the Kingdom, a place called Texas. But no, I'm sure we've never really _met _before."

"Hmm," _Ruby mused._ "Must just be my imagination, then."

_Casey chuckled again. _"One can never have too much of that. Believe me, I had a friend who's imagination was absolutely wild." _She trailed off with a fond sigh, the hint of a frown tinging her expression._

_Something in her face told Ruby the answer even before she quietly asked, _"That friend… is he the one you sang about last week?"

_Casey nodded, wiping at her eyes a little bit. When she spoke, however, her voice held no tremor, but instead a firm tone of resolve. _"He was a great man, a creator. He saw things in a different way than anyone else. We worked at an animation company. My dad and I provided music to the shows." _Casey smiled. _"I was probably even younger than you are when he came in one day, still half-asleep, and he went to one of our writers with an idea for a show, completely original. It was… incredible. The first season came out, and to see the support it got from our fans just made him smile so big; to hear everyone say how much they loved the show and how it inspired them."

_Ruby sat silently all the while as Casey regaled her with stories about her friend, and when she was finished, the reaper let out a breath. _"Wow, heh… he does sound like a great man. The kind of person I want to be."

"Just remember, Ruby, that greatness is earned, not owned."

"I know." _The girl smiled gleefully, like a child on her birthday. _"That's why I can't wait for the Vytal Festival Tournament to start this week."

_At those words, Casey glanced at her, the smile slipping from her lips. _"This week?"

"Yeah!" _Ruby replied, too absorbed in thinking about the tournament to notice Casey's sudden shift in mood. _"My and my team will finally be able to test ourselves, to see how far we've come! Oh, it's gonna be so exciting!"

"I didn't know it was so soon," _Casey mused_.

"Oh yeah, and—hey, what's wrong?" _Ruby asked, finally noticing Casey's frown. _

"Nothing, I'm just… worried about something." _Casey didn't elaborate further, but stood and once again shook Ruby's hand. This time, however, there was an extra element of earnesty to the gesture, and as both of Casey's hands closed over her own, Ruby felt the woman press something cold, smooth, and metal into her palm. Casey looked deep into Ruby's silver eyes, her expression severe. _"I have to go, now… There's something I need to attend to. Please, be safe, Ruby Rose." _With that, Casey backed away._

_Ruby, rattled by Casey's new demeanor, looked down to the object in her palm and was startled to see that she recognized it as her own silver rose brooch. She looked to her belt and felt another shock run through her at the realization that it was absent of the brooch. Her thumb brushed wonderingly over the surface, then stopped as it found something she didn't recognize. There, as if it had always been engraved on the brooch, was a small protrusion, almost like a button on a fob._

"How did you get this? Where did—" _Ruby began, but when she looked up, she was alone once more, Casey having disappeared while the girl had gawked at the rose. _

_Ruby shivered, a twinge of unease rippling up her spine at her new friend's mysterious disappearance. However, Flynt's voice from the dance floor shook her from her stupor. _"Alright, ladies and gents of Remnant, we have time for one more song! Who's it going to be?"

_Near the front of the audience, a slim, pale hand went up. Flynt locked onto it immediately_. "You there, little lady in the front! Come on up!"

_The person climbed up onto the stage, a black hood covering their face that trailed down into a black cape. The cloak looked similar to Ruby's save for its color, and the girl wearing it was disguised, her face in the shadow of the hood._

"And what are you gonna be singing for us tonight?" _Flynt asked. _

_The girl leaned in and whispered in his ear, and Flynt nodded, signalling to Hei. The pianist gave a thumbs up and pressed a pad button before his fingers went to the keys, flying across the upper portion of the board in a flowery, yet slightly sinister-sounding introduction._

_As Hei held on a note, Semblance of Sanity and MurderOfBirds came in on their respective instruments with a crash that sounded like death. The brothers started shredding with their EGs while Murder kept the tempo as the girl finally began to sing._

"Maybe red's like roses!" _she practically screamed into the mic, before continuing with a more natural singing voice,_

"Maybe it's the pool of blood

"The innocents will lay in

"When in the end you fail to save them!

"Their _dying _eyes!

"Are wide and white like

"Snow and now they

"Know the cost of

"Trusting you's

"Obliteration."

_Ruby sat in a macabre mix of awe and horror, unable to look away and shut her ears but wanting to more than anything. The song, the lyrics, the heavy metal music, all of it elicited from within her every type of negative emotion imaginable, fear and revulsion and sadness and anger all at once. If she were on a mission at that very moment, the Grimm would have attacked her in swarms from the sheer weight of her reaction._

_Oblivious to Ruby's plight, the singer went on._

"Mirrors will shatter!

"Crushed by the weight of the world!

"The pillars collapse… in…

"Shame!"

_The harshness of the notes held an almost cruel beauty, and yet, Ruby had to physically fight to keep from recoiling with every measure. The song was just so dark, sounded so evil and hateful against her innocent ears._

"There'll be no rest!

"There'll be no lo-ove!

"There'll be no hero in the end

"Who will rise above!"

"And when it ends,

"The good will crawl!

"The shining light will sink in darkness,

"Victory for hate incarnate

"Misery and pain for all…"

_It was a horrible manifestation of everything Ruby stood against. The words, the music, the very idea that good could be forever cast down, all of it was repugnant to the young Huntress. In that instant, Ruby resented the singing girl, the negative, hateful message she chose to bring. How could she stand there and sing of toppling towers and broken mirrors and good people _crawling _and still have a small little smirk on her face?_

_The singer lifted her hood as she sang the final line, and Ruby gasped in shocked recognition. A small, petite form; short hair in a pixie cut with one side slightly longer than the other; and the hood, red like roses. The girl's skin was pure white, white like bone, and her eyes blazed bloodred in utterly black sockets. However, aside from those nightmarish features, the singer was an absolute mirror of Ruby herself, singing with a gleeful smile of malice as she lilted, _"When… it… faaaaaaallllllllllls…"

_Everything, the lights of the club, the sounds of the song, even the roaring of a cheering crowd was all sucked into the eyes, those bloodred eyes that stared directly into Ruby's own silver ones. The copy laughed, a cold, cruel sound made even more grating by the fact that it was Ruby's own voice, and Ruby felt her knees shake._

_With a Grimm-like growl, the copy reached out, a scythe materializing in her hand, and leaped forward at Ruby, blade raised high to strike. Ruby stumbled over her feet as the other reaper flew toward her, grinning insanely at her as the band played on. Lifting a futile hand, Ruby looked up at the copy as the blade came down, and in the last instant before everything went black, a terrified scream tore itself from her throat… _

* * *

With a sound that was half a gasp, half a squeak of terror, Ruby awoke, shooting up in her bunk bed and breathing heavily. A cold sweat dotted her brow above her sleep mask, and she lifted the cloth off her eyes and wiped a hand over her forehead as she looked around and got her surroundings. Gradually, her breathing slowed as she recognized the familiar sight of her Beacon dorm room. Across the room, Blake and Yang slept soundly in their respective beds, and as she listened, she could hear Weiss gently breathing in the bed beneath her own.

Ruby let out a breath. Goodness, that dream had felt so _real_. She could remember every detail with unusual clarity, down to every word she had said to Casey. She could have sworn that she had actually been in the club, even though she now recognized why she'd had a gap in her memory of arriving.

With a troubled sigh, Ruby laid her head back down on the pillow and readjusted her sleep mask, closing her silver eyes and trying to fall back to sleep. Eventually, she dozed back into slumber, her chest rising and falling with slow, regular breaths.

She never noticed in her panic from awakening that she clutched her rose brooch in her hand, or that just in the center of the brooch there was a new protrusion, almost like a button on a fob.

**Author's Note: So it's been a hot minute since I updated this story, but things got really busy with school and football season and I just didn't have the time. I had had this chapter nearly completed for a long time but couldn't figure out until today exactly how I wanted to end it. Regardless, here's the latest chapter of Karaoke Night, and now that Volume Seven has begun (AHHHHHH!), I will also be back to writing RWBY: The Complete Saga and releasing the chapters as they are released on RT for all members - meaning I will not be posting new chapters until the Saturday after they debut on RT First. Looking forward to it all! Trust Love! - Jek**


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